Writing Fiction About Generation Z

A Look at Writing Fiction About Generation Z or iGen (1997 – 2012)

Of course, as of the initial writing of this blog post, Gen Z had not yet hit 35. And a lot of them hadn’t hit their quarter-century mark, either. And 65? Forget about it! So, unless you’re writing about the future, writing fiction about Generation Z means writing about their youth.

My characters Minka Lopez, Dez Hunter, Nell Murphy, and Kitty Kowalski, all from Mettle are all members of iGen.

So, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Generation Z.

Generation Z Turns 18 (2015 – 2030)

This time frame starts off with NASA’s Dawn probe orbiting dwarf planet (asteroid) Ceres. The World Health Organization declares the eradication of rubella in the Americas. Also, SpaceX lands an uncrewed Falcon 9 rocket.

The Covid-19 epidemic and the first term of President Donald Trump dominate the middle of this period.

As of the initial writing of this blog post, this time period has not yet ended. However, the period from 2020 to 2024 gave us a world where misinformation is everywhere, and there are significant political divides in the United States.

Considering this generation and the end of this time frame can mean extrapolating what’s already happened. Or you can instead try turning it on its head.

Generation Z Turns 25 (2022 – 2037)

This time frame starts off with billions of people being vaccinated against Covid-19. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee (70 years on the throne, a record for British monarchs), and Elon Musk buys Twitter.

Since most of the middle and all of the end of this period hasn’t happened yet, we can only speculate about it. The second election of Republican Donald Trump in 2024 means he’s supposed to be president until 2028.

And, so far, the pace of change has been hectic. There, that’s a nice word for it.

Naming Your Characters When Writing Fiction About Generation Z

In the US, the Social Security Administration keeps records of births and what people name their kids. In most slots, there are a lot of variations.

For girls, Emily dominates the top spot from 1997 to 2007 inclusive. Then Emma shows up in 2008 only. Isabella takes the top spot in 2009 and 2010, and Sophia usurps her for the last two years, 2011 and 2012.

In the second slot, Jessica only shows up in 1997. Then it’s Hannah from 1998 to 2000 inclusive. Madison takes over for 2001 and 2002. Emma then holds this spot from 2003 to 2006 inclusive, 2009, and 2012. Sophia only shows up in 2010. Otherwise, it’s Isabella.

For the third spot, there are nine separate names for this sixteen-year cohort. The following names only show up once: Ashley (1997), Samantha (1998), Alexis (1999), Emily (2008), Olivia (200), and Isabella (2012).

Madison holds the third spot in 2000, and from 2003 – 2006 inclusive. Hannah comes in third in 2001 and 2002. And Emma holds the slot in 2007, 2010, and 2011.

For the fourth slot, again, there are nine separate names. These names only show up once: Emma (2002), Hannah (2003), Abigail (2005), Isabella (2006), Ava (2007), and Sophia (2009). Sarah holds the spot from 1997 to 1999 inclusive.

Ashley is in fourth place in 2000 and 2001. Otherwise, it’s Olivia.

For the fifth slot, there are eight unique names. These names only appear once: Ashley (1998), Samantha (1999), Sarah (2000), and Madison (2007). Hannah holds this spot in 1997 and 2004. Alexis is in fifth in 2001 and 2002; Olivia in 2003 and 2005.

Otherwise, it’s Ava, a fairly dominant name for the fifth place spot.

Naming Your Boy Characters When Writing Fiction About Generation Z

The top slot belongs to Michael in 1997 and 1998. But then he’s run over by Jacob, who holds it for the rest of the time period. The only times Jacob is in second are when Michael is in first. Michael’s in second place from 1999 – 2008 inclusive.

Then Ethan gets the silver medal in 2009 and 2010, ceding to Mason for 2011 and 2012.

Matthews gets the bronze from 1997 to 2001 inclusive. Then Joshua from 2002 to 2006 inclusive. And then Ethan in 2007, 2008, and 2012. Michael holds this spot in 2009 and 2010. William only shows up in 2011.

There are seven unique names in the fourth slot. These only have one appearance: Christopher (1997), Ethan (2006), Alexander (2009), and Noah (2012). Joshua holds this spot from 1998 to 2001 inclusive, and 2007 and 2008.

Matthew holds the fourth slot from 2002 to 2005 inclusive. And Jayden shows up in 2010 and 2011.

For the fifth slot, there are nine unique names. These only show up once: Joshua (1997), Nicholas (1999), Andrew (2003), Matthew (2006), and Noah (2011). Christopher holds this spot in 1998, 2000, and 2001. Then it’s Ethan in 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Daniel takes over this slot in 2007 and 2008. William is in fifth place in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

When I’m Writing Fiction About Generation Z

So, here are my characters from Generation Z.

In Mettle, it’s characters Dez Hunter, Minka Lopez, Nell Murphy, and Kitty Kowalski.

There may be some in The Duck in the Seat Cushion, too.

Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Generation Z

Gen Z was raised on the internet. So writing fiction about Generation Z should include computers, tablets, and smartphones. Therefore, if you wish to show iconoclasts or Luddites, or maybe a post-Apocalyptic world, then Zoomers probably wouldn’t have any of that.

And, as character Kitty Kowalski is like in Mettle, when the power goes out and they might not survive, forget her parents. She barely thinks of them at all. This insufferable spoiled brat misses her phone.

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Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then please be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:

• The Greatest Generation
† The Silent Generation
• Early Boomers
† Generation Jones
• Generation X
† Millennials AKA Generation Y
• Generation Z AKA Zoomers
† Generation Alpha